Teaching Kids to Ride a Bike

Learning how to ride a bike is a gift that will last our entire lives. Riding a bicycle is an excellent mode of transportation, and biking is a great form of low-impact exercise that is both fun and invigorating. Best of all, riding a bike is an activity that is accessible to people of all ages, from little children to grandparents

Of course, before your children will be ready to hop on and ride around the neighborhood or the town with the family, they will first need to learn how to stay balanced and maneuver on two wheels. And, of course, they will need the right bike that fits their needs.

So this year, take the steps necessary to helping kids learn to ride a bike. And to assist, we have compiled this list of ideas and activities to try to make the experience simple and fun for the whole family.

Get the Right Bike – and the Right Helmet

Perhaps the most important step in teaching your child how to ride a bike is getting her the right bicycle for her size, as well as a helmet that she can wear at all times. Indeed, these components are integral to your child’s education, and are necessary before you begin.

Here, it is imperative to understand that purchasing a bike that a child will “grow into” will actually hinder your child’s progress, and may even prevent him from learning how to ride a bike at all. As such, make sure to visit a local bicycle store where you can have your child fitted for both a bike and a helmet that will allow him to learn and ride successfully. And if you’re looking for a stylish helmet that your child will be proud to wear, make sure to surprise him with the Super Rainbow Unicorn Hair Helmet or the Shark Attax Helmet. These great helmets are perfect for helping kids stay excited about riding.

Balance on a Y Bike – and then Pedal on a Kids’ Bike

One of the easiest ways to help teach your child how to ride a bike is by having her learn to balance on a bike without pedals. For example, with the Y Bike Evolve, your child can push himself along and keep balance at the same time.

Once your little one becomes comfortable pushing with her feet and staying balanced, let her try balancing while riding down small, grassy hills. She won’t need pedals, but she can practice staying balanced. After she masters this, she can ride kids’ bike that has pedals. She will already have practice balancing on the Y Bike Evolve; now, she simply has to combine that skill with pedaling in order to ride a traditional bicycle.

This may not come automatically, however. Instead, begin by having your child push off, place his feet in the pedals, and coast for 10 or 15 feet – this will give him or her the opportunity to gain balance without pedaling. If he does this successfully, have your child coast and pedal once or twice before stopping. This simple activity can help your little one develop confidence in pedaling.

Finally, you will then have to teach your child how to steer and turn, which is easiest if you are on a large course that allows your child to take broad turns. For a fun activity, take a piece of chalk and draw a bike course on the ground, with straight lines and gradual curves. Have your child follow that line as best as possible without putting his feet on the ground.

Once your child is able to follow the line you have drawn on the ground, you can continue by setting up a line of cones through which she can weave; this will help your little one develop her ability to take sharper turns on a course. This will also help your child learn how to stop properly, when necessary.

Teaching Kids to Ride a Bicycle

Once your child is able to ride a bike on his own, you have an entirely new set of opportunities available to you as a family. For one, you can start taking bikes as transportation instead of the car, especially if there are bike-friendly paths or roads in your town. Or, you can simply take some time on the weekend to ride around as a family.

Ultimately, riding a bike is a wonderful skill that all children should learn. If you are ready to teach your little one this year, try these simple activities and get ready to ride as a family.

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